Oil and gas separator



Dec. 8, 1931. A. LINCOLN OIL AND GAS SEPARATOR Filed May 9, 1950AbeLuwo' m yw;

TTORNEYS 4 Patented Dec. 8, 19311 UNITED STATES ABE LINCOLN, or mm,'rnxas ornann GAS snrnmron Application w m a, 1930. Serial No. 451,036:

This invention relates to oil and .gas separators and, among otherobjects, aims to provide an improved apparatus to eifect the separationof gas and oil, especially underlow pressure. I

In the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment of theinvention,

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section taken through the improvedapparatus;

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, throughthe gas separator in the upper portion of the apparatus; an L Fig. 3 isa plan view of one of the baflles employed in the apparatus.

Referring particularly to the drawings, the apparatus is there shown as.comprising an upright oil settling tank having a relatively largeconductor pipe 11 extending above the top of the tank and housing a gasseparator unit 12. The tank 10, near its lower end, is provided with aclean-out opening, normally closed by a plate 13, and also with a saltwater drain outlet 14. An oil i I F outlet pipe 15 is connected to thewall of the tank above its mid portion; and within the tank andconnected to the outlet by 'an elbow 16 is a U-shaped overflow pipe 17providing a liquid seal for the outlet.' '-The to 18 of the tank iscrowned and provided wit a conventional vacuum valve 19.

The conductor pipe 11, which is relatively large in diameter, has itslower end sup ported above the bottom of the tank on legs 20, while theupper end extends through and above the top 18 a d is closed by a coverplate 21. i The pipe 11 a with a plurality of inlet openings 22 adaptedto be connected to inlet pipes for conducting the fluid to be separated.

Within the pipe 11 and communicating with each inlet 22 are nozzles 23,each of which isarranged to direct the incoming fluid. downwardly at anangle and against the inner surface of the pipe 11. Thus the fluid flowsin a spiral'pat of the pipe 11 and at no increase in pressure,.thusreaching the oil level, which is approximately the top of the pipe'17,with a minimum of agitation, thereby preventing,"

ve the top 18 is provided around the inner wall to a great extent, theformation of oil and water emulsion. Due to the comparative capacity ofthe tank and the outlet pipe, the fluid moves very slowly, thus allowingample time for the water, sand, etc. to settle out. As the 'fiuid entersthe pipe 11, the gas and 011 vapor, being lighter than the oil andwater, rises in the pipe 11 and enters the separator or filter unit 12,which is arranged above the inlet openings 22. I

The separator unit 12 is shown in Fig. 2 as comprising a cylindricalcasing 24 secured at its upper end to the cover plate 21 and closed atthe bottom by an end or bottom wall 25. Extending across the casing andspaced below the plate 21 is'a partition 26 having a central opening 27therein, and extending between the partition 26 and the bottom wall 25and secured to both is a smaller cylindrical shell 28 preferablyconcentric with the housing 24. A plurality of spaced transverse baflies29' extend between and are secured to thecylinders 24 and 28 to providea plurality of annular chambers 30.

A plurality of inlet openings 31 are provided in the casing 24 betweenthe partition 26 and the upper baflie 29 and each baflle 29 has aperipheral outlet opening 32 (Fig.3) arranged in staggered relation tothe corresponding opening in the next adjacent, baflie. A cylindricalbaflie 33 extends upwardly from the upper baflle 29 to a point above theinlet openings 31 and its lower edge extends partially over the outletopening-32 in the upper baffle 29. As the gaseous oil vapor enters thecasing 24 through the openings 31, it strikes the bafile 33, causingsome of the oil particles to be deposited on the baflle and finally rundown into the upper baflle 29 and around to the opening 32. Some of thevapor is deflected upwardly and over the bathe 33, striking thepartition 26 and shell 28, and the separated oil falls into the spacebetween the baflle 33 and the shell 25 and flow around to the opening32.

In addition to the separated oil, the gaseous oil vapor passes downthrough openings 32 in the upper baflle to the next lower chamber 30,around the shell 28 to the next lower opening 32 and so on until itreaches the gas and theremaining vapor pass into the shell 28 throughinlet openings 35 just below the lowest bafile 29.

To separate the gas from the oil vapor in the shell 28, a plurality offrusto 'conical baffles 36 and conical baffles 37 having dependingannular flanges 38 are arranged horizontally and alternately in theshell. The bafiles 36 are open at the top and have their lower edgessecured to the inside of the shell 28, the lowest baffle-36 being justabove the openings 35, while the top bafile 36 is just belowthewT-opening 27 in the partition 26. The conical bafiies 37 are smallerin diameter than the frusto-conical baffles 36 and have their dependingflanges secured to the upper surface of the bellies 36. Portions of thelower edges of the depending flanges 38 are cut away to provide outlets39, and notches are formed in the peripheral edges of the baffles 36 toprovide drain openings 40. Supportedon legs shown in elevae tion in Fig.2 above the opening 27 in the partition 26 is a circular deflector plate41 and secured to the lowest frusto-conical baffle 36 is a dependingclindrical bafile .42 which is spaced from the s ell 28 and extends belowthe openings 35. v

As the vapor pass'esthrough the openings 35 into the shell 28, itstrikes the baffle 42, passing around its lower edge 'and then upthrough the opening in the lowest frustoconical baffle 36,- striking theunder surface of the conical baflle 37 and is deflected downwardlythrough the openings 39. Itthen passes up through the next baifle 36andso on to thetop of the shell 28, where it passes through the opening 27and strikes the plate 40 where it is deflected outwardly and upwall.

wardly around the peripheral edge. As the vapor strikes the' varioussurfaces of the baffles, etc., the oil particles are depositedon thevarious surfaces and pass down onto the upper surfaces of thefrusto-conical baffles 36 and through the outlets 40 until it reachesthe bottom .of the shell 28. The gas which remains Whenthe oil has beenseparated leaves the separator through an outlet in the plate 21 to aconduit 43.

In order to let the oil out of the separator 12 and at the same timeprovide a liquid seal so that the gas cannot flow back into the pipe 11,a cup-shaped reservoir 44 is secured at its upper edge to the bottomwall 25 and has outlet openings 45 at the top of the side An overflowtube 46 extends from near the bottom of the reservoir through and abovethe bottom wall- 25. The oil in the a cylindrical Lessee? separator 12flows over the top of the tube .46 down into the reservoir and leavesthe reservoir through the openings 45, where it I falls into the oil inthe pipe 11.

To permit the gas to escape should the pressure become too great, asafety valve is provided at the top of the separator. Herein, the valveis shown as comprising a cylindrical body portion 47 secured at itslower edge to the plate 21 and above anoutlet opening 48 in the plate.The top of the body 47 provides a valve seat for a valve 49 having aguide stem 50 depending therefrom and mounted in suitable guides 51. Ahollow compartment member 52 is mounted on top of the valve 49 and has aclosure plug 53,

which may be removed so that the compartment may be filled with metalslugs, lead or other heavy material to furnish the necessary weight forthe desired pressure under WhlCll the valve is to open.

It is to be noted that the various parts in the separator unit 12 are soarranged that the conduit 43.

Obviously, the present invention is not restricted to the particularembodiment there.- of herein shown and described. Moreover,

it is not indispensable that all the features of the invention be usedconjointly, since they may be employed advantageously in variouscombinations and sub-combinations.

VVha-tlclaim is 1. In an oil and gas separator, the combination of anupright tank; a relatively large conductor pipe extending from near thebot tom, through and above the top of the tank, said pipe being closedat the top and open at the bottom; fluid inlets in the p1pe above thetop of the tank; an oil outlet for thetankzcasing in the upper port onof the pipe and above the inlet openmgs in the pipe; a cylindrical shellarranged ax ally within the casing and having inlet openings near thebottom; a plurality of spaced annular ballies extending between thecasing and shell, each baflie having an opening therein; said casinghaving a plurallty of inlet openings above the top baflie; a gas conduitat the top of the casing; an Oll outlet'at the bottom of the casing; aplurality of alternate frusto-conical and conical baffles 1n the shell;and apartition extending across the casing at the top of the shell andhavingia the inside of the shell.

the oil is" are ies

2. In an oil and gas separator, the combination of an upright tank; anoil outlet for the tank; a relatively large upright conductor pipepartially within the tank, said Pipe being closed at the top and open atthe bottom; fluid inlets. in the conductor pipe; a casing in the upperend of the ipe; a shell within the casing; annular ba es extendingbetween the shell and the casing and each having a drain openingtherein; alternately arranged frusto-conical and conical baflles in theshell; inlets in the casing near the top; inlets in the shell near thebottom; and an outlet at the top of the casing and communicating withthe interior of the shell. 3. In an oil and gas separator, incombination, an upright tank; an-outlet for the tank located at anintermediate point; an upright pipe in the tank and extending throughthe top of the tank; said pipe being closed at the top and communicatingwith the inside of the tank at the bottom; a cylindrical casingdepending from the top of the pipe; inlets in the pipe above the tankand below the casing; inlets in the casing; a cylindrical shell in thecasing; spaced transverse, frustoconical bafiies in the shell and havingtheir lower peripheral edges notched and secured to the shell and beingopen at the top; conical battles between the frusto-conical bafiles andhaving depending flanges secured to the tops of the frusto-conicalbaflles; said flanges having openings at the bottom; inlets in the shellbelow the lowest frusto-conical baflle; a bafile depending from thelowest bafiile and extending below the shell inlets; and an outletcommunicating with the opening in the top frusto-conical bafiie.

4. In an oil and gas separator, in combination, an upright tank; anoutlet for the tank located at an intermediate point; an upright pipe inthe tank and extending through the top of the tank; said pipe beingclosed at the top and communicating with the inside of the tank at thebottom; a cylindrical casing depending from the .op of the pipe; inletsin the pipe above the tank and below the casing; inlets in the casing; acylindrical shell in the casing; spaced transverse, bafiles secured tothe shell and being open at the top; inlets in the shell below thelowest baiiie; a bafile depending from. the lowest bafile and extendingbelow the shell inlets; an outlet for gas at the top of the pipe; and apressure-operated escape valve also at the top of the pipe.

5. In an oil and gas separator, in combination, an upright tank; anoutlet for the tank; an upright pipe in the tank and extending throughthe top of the tank; said pipe being closed at the top and communicatingwith the inside of the tank at the bottom; a cylindrical casingdepending from the top of the pipe; inlets in the pipe above the tankand below the casing; inlets in the casing; a cylindrical shell in thecasing; spaced bafiles horizontally arranged'in the shell; inlets in theshell below the lowest bafile; a bafile depending from said lowestbafile and extending be- 0.; low theshell inlets; and an outletcommunieating with the opening in the top frustoconical baflie.

6. In an oil and gas separator, in combination, an upright tank; arelatively large conductor pipe extending from near the bottom, throughand above the top of the tank; said pipe bein closed at the top and openat the bottom; uid inlets in the pipe above the top ofthe tank; an oiloutlet for the tank; a cylindrical casing in the upper portion of thepipe and above the inlet openings in the pipe; a cylindrical shellarranged axially within the casing and having inlet openings near thebottom; a plurality of spaced annular baffles extending between thecasing and shell, each baflle having an opening therein; said casinghaving a plurality of inlet openings above the top baflle; a gas conduitat the top of the casing communicating with the interior of the shell;an oil outlet at the bottom of the casing; and a plurality of spaced,horizontally arranged baflles in the shell.

7. In an oil and gas separator, in combination, an upright tank; arelatively large conductor pipe extending from near the bottom, throughand above the top of the tank; said pipe being closed at the top andopen at the bottom; fluid inlets in the ipe above the top of the tank;an oil outlet f dr the tank; a cylindrical casing in the upper portionof the pipe and above the inlet openings in the pipe; a cylindricalshell arranged axially within the casing and having inlet openings nearthe bottom; a plurality of spaced annular baflles extending between thecasing and shell, each bafile having an opening therein; said casinghaving a lurality of inlet openings above the top b e; a cylindricalbaflle extending from the top baflle upwardly above the casing inlets; agas conduit at the top of the casing communicating with the interior ofthe shell; an oil outlet at the bottom of the casing; and a plurality ofspaced, horizontally arranged baflles in the shell.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature.

ABE LINCOLN.

